by Mike Knaak
The Sartell-St. Stephen school board approved a two-year contract with its teachers at the board’s March 21 meeting.
The deal adds 3 percent to the salary schedule for 2021-22 and 3.5 percent to the salary schedule for 2022-23. The total cost increase to the district is 12.09 percent.
Other financial changes include increased health insurance contributions for 2022-23 of $900 for single coverage and $2,400 for family coverage.
Superintendent Jeff Ridlehoover described the negotiations with the teachers’ union as “collaborative.”
The settlement was reached just before the negotiations were set to go to mediation, said Joe Prom, director of Business Services. He described the final deal as “fair” in remarks to the school board, which approved it unanimously.
Pay for extra-curricular positions increased 3 percent the first contract year and 3.5 percent the second year.
The average increase of the four previous two-years contracts was 8.48 percent compared with this contract’s total cost of 12.09 percent. The contract covers about 295 teachers.
In other staffing news, newly appointed high school Principal Shayne Kusler spoke briefly to the board. Kusler has served as the principal of Foley High School since 2014 and will begin work July 1. Current interim activities director Nick Peterson will return next year to his former role as assistant principal at the high school. Ridlehoover said the district plans to hire a new activities director after spring break, which starts Monday, March 28.
